We’re not all terrorists, we’re not “cockroaches,” and we’re certainly not an “invented” people. What you don’t know about Palestinians.

Palestine. My late father, Abdul Musa Obeidallah, was born there in the 1930s. When I say Palestine, that’s not a political statement. It’s just a statement of fact. When he was born, there was no state of Israel. There was no Hamas. No PLO. There were just people of different faiths living together on the same small piece of land called Palestine.

….. Most of my Palestinian ancestors lived and died within a few miles of where they were born. That would likely have been my father’s path as well. But as we are all keenly aware, fate had far different plans.

I share this story because I think that lost in the current Gaza conflict is the story of the Palestinians as a people. Instead, they’ve been continually defined as being the “bad” part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They’ve been broadly labeled as terrorists or seen as acceptable losses. Some Israeli leaders have alleged Palestinians don’t exist, or called them “cockroaches,” “crocodiles,” or a “cancer.”….

….. when I was about 9 years old in the late 1970s, my teacher [in New Jersey] asked about the ethnicity of each student so she could pin it on a map of the world. When she came to me, she was stumped—she didn’t know much about Palestinians, and of course she couldn’t find it on the map since it wasn’t there….

Later that night, I relayed that story to my father and asked him: “Where is Palestine?” He paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. He then touched his heart and head and responded: “In here.”….

• • •

A couple of articles I thought were worth posting, the one above is as poignant and beautiful as I’ve ever read about Palestine, its history and its people – Obeidallah’s memory of his teacher not being able to find Palestine on the map, and his father’s reaction, beyond heartbreaking.

Please click on the link to read it all.

The one below was written by British author Howard Jacobson in 2009, which shows how nothing ever changes in this conflict.

There’s lots in Jacobson’s piece I, for what it’s worth, disagree with – for one, the people of Gaza have most certainly been ‘ghettoized’ and brutalized by the government of Israel. Does it compare to Warsaw? Who cares? Terror is terror, not a number count – a child in Warsaw watching the Nazis take his parents away, a child in Gaza watching his parents blown apart by an Israeli missile …. terror is terror.

For two, ‘massacre’ and ‘slaughter’ sound like accurate terms to me for what is (and was in 2009) happening in Gaza – but I found his points about the Jewish people being ‘disinherited of pity’ powerful. Which is why I really, really hate Holocaust references in all of this.

I’ll never, ever understand why some argue that the brutality being served on Gaza’s people by a right wing Israeli government should disinherit the entire Jewish people of pity for what they have endured through history.

My Twitter mentions have been a sight to behold of late, the anti-Semitism – from friends and ‘progressives’ – bewildering. I tweet a link to a report on the slaughter in Gaza, and back comes a torrent of ‘Jews are evil’ stuff. At which point you can only despair, really.

And say, “**** you, bigot”.

Apart from anything, why is it always implied that the ‘Jewish people’ are homogeneous in their stance on this or any other issue?

I’m a (well, former) Catholic – I know Catholics who make Ann Coulter seem like Karl Marx, I know Catholics who make Karl Marx seem like Ann Coulter.

So why the assumption Jews the world over all think the same?

And that Jews = Netanyahu’s government?

Remember this, as just a single example?

And those who reckon that what’s happening in Gaza should disinherit the Jewish people of pity look pretty daft to me when they also try to argue that their criticism of Israel is not ‘anti-Semitic’.

It is. It really is.

Today’s Israeli government does not= Judaism and its history of persecution.

The Holocaust was horrific. What’s happening in Gaza is horrific. We don’t need to negate, compare or contrast, just mourn both sets of atrocities and keep on weeping for man’s unrelenting inhumanity to man.

Ramble over. Chat on.

• • •

Howard Jacobson (The UK Independent, 2009): Let’s see the ‘criticism’ of Israel for what it really is

…. What do we, in the cosy safety of tolerant old England, think we are doing when we call the Israelis Nazis and liken Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto? Do those who blithely make these comparisons know anything whereof they speak?

In the early 1940s some 100,000 Jews and Romanis died of engineered starvation and disease in the Warsaw Ghetto, another quarter of a million were transported to the death camps, and when the Ghetto rose up it was liquidated, the last 50,000 residents being either shot on the spot or sent to be murdered more hygienically in Treblinka.

Don’t mistake me: every Palestinian killed in Gaza is a Palestinian too many, but there is not the remotest similarity, either in intention or in deed between Gaza and Warsaw.

Given the number of besieged and battered cities there have been in however many thousands of years of pitiless warfare there is only one explanation for this invocation of Warsaw before any of those – it is to wound Jews in their recent and most anguished history and to punish them with their own grief. Its aim is a sort of retrospective retribution, cancelling out all debts of guilt and sorrow. It is as though, by a reversal of the usual laws of cause and effect, Jewish actions of today prove that Jews had it coming to them yesterday.

Berating Jews with their own history, disinheriting them of pity, as though pity is negotiable or has a sell-by date, is the latest species of Holocaust denial …. according to this thinking, the Jews have betrayed the Holocaust and become unworthy of it, the true heirs to their suffering being the Palestinians.

My disgust is not with the people caught in the horror – Jewish and Palestinian alike – my disgust is with Hamas and more importantly, Netanyahu and those in the Israeli government and public who champion this massacre of innocents.

Israel loves being called a democracy. Well, a democracy should hold itself and be held to higher standards than its enemy or opponent. It should not without restraint or thought for the outcome, slaughter over a thousand people and destroy what little land they call home.

Given that it’s you, and you comment here, my response is – I have zero idea how you could so substantively misconstrue either the quote or the contents of Chips post (which is what is linked in the tweet).

So, I suggest you delete the tweet. If not, my conversations with you will end.

I just think it’s weird is all. So many times the people that justify Israels actions also use the Holocaust as a means for justification, BUT he never mentions it and continues to do exactly what he was railing against in a sense.. Both sides need to stop doing this two tragedies are different but comparing them side by side can cloud the mind some. Maybe I’ll write an essay about this and get a number of books on the subject as well. I will have to read between the lines because a lot of them seem to have a pro-Israel slant to them which is common with history books I guess.

The Gaza bombing is heartbreaking. The US involvement has been in supplying weapons and money and the President has, of course, a right to question Israel and their strategies, and to work for peace. For awhile I lived in a VERY small town in a rural area where cable had about 10 channels. I ended up watching television I wouldn’t watch otherwise. One of the channels was religious and they said they (Evangelical Christians) were a main reason for US support of Israel because in the Bible, backing Israel was on the winning side. They also back the GOP. I don’t know how much influence the US can have — they are separate countries and the hostilities have gone on so long — but one thing I do believe is that there is a lot of energy and money supporting Bibi and his policies. He feels he can defy President Obama precisely because he knows he has the support of the GOP in congress. I think of it as a huge ship going in a certain direction. Having a Democratic House and Senate couldn’t turn that boat around immediately, but it can slow it and get it turning. Bibi would know he couldn’t flagrantly disregard President Obama and SOS Kerry. The people of this country are speaking out and now they have to GOTV and get the GOP out of office.

BooMan recommended this account of the history of the Gaza crisis and what led to this point. He’s someone I’ve read for a long time and have found to be accurate and trustworthy so I’m passing it on. Sometimes knowing what led to a condition can help point to solutions. At the least it leads to greater understanding.

There are many details of the history of war between Israel and Palestine…..

I have a problem with the “both sides” part of the story…as if Palestine are equal

Palestine is an occupied territory…they have no standing army….no infrastructure….the ports are blockaded…they have no industry….they have no freedom of movement….education is non existent….society in Palestine…does not offer much hope for the future….

and now….hospital…schools….civilians etc…even UN safe houses are being bombed….

Ms Chipssss extraordinary essay…brings in a fundamental issue….that

“Today’s Israeli government does not = Judaism and its history of persecution.
The Holocaust was horrific. What’s happening in Gaza is horrific. We don’t need to negate, compare or contrast, just mourn both sets of atrocities and keep on weeping for man’s unrelenting inhumanity to man”.

I suppose I feel that we should be able to do more than just weep…

we must continue to join our voices with the world wide voices…decrying not only the bombing…but calling for a true peace agreement that includes the lifting of the blockade of Gaza…. the formation of 2 states….no more Israeli settlements….return to Palestine seized lands by returning to the1967 borders……

this is the only way for …Justice…Peace…Security and Prosperity for both Israel and Palestine

Wow, Chips. Thank you so much for all of this information and your remarks.

I focus my anger and fury on Netanyahu and Hamas and all those in charge of carrying out this horrific war. I’m particularly furious with the way Netanyahu is disrespecting President Obama and SOS Kerry, now more than ever. Outrageous and arrogant, it’s intolerable.

Hamas violent to their own people? Has this guy even been to Gaza or knows what he’s talking about? I’ve chatted with a number of people that have and Hamas was actually good to their people compared to how the Israelis treat them. I am sick of people excusing Israels actions and try to use Hamas as a scapegoat.

Jeff, I believe neither side is totally innocent in this current conflict or the steps leading up to it. And the citizens of both countries – and the surrounding countries – have culpability, not just the leaders. Who has more at any given time is up to the onlookers like us to fathom for ourselves, but Hamas has a very long history, parts of which haven’t necessarily been “good” for people in the Middle East. Please know this is just my opinion, and I respect that yours may differ.

the history isn’t that long dating back to 1986 I believe… That’s pretty young for a government or terrorist cell depending how you look at it. It hasn’t become like the Nazis true, hopefully never will, but the world has become incredibly lax in this department and I worry something that vile might rise again. I don’t hate Jewish people. A lot of Jews are great people, just like anyone else. Same with Muslims, Pagans, Wiccans, or any other religion.

What’s occurring is that people have grown hateful towards the Arabs and other Middle Eastern people, treating them with contempt and hate that rivals antisemitism. We must always be vigilant before lest we become what we claim to despise.

I definitely get your drift, appreciate your knowledge, and agree that we must always be vigilant. Also agree that if things don’t get better on both sides, they’re doomed and we’re all doomed as human beings because the vile will spread many fold. It always does. Look how quickly the hate opened up in our country and better revealed itself, once President Obama went to the White House.

On the vigilance part: “First they came for the trade unionists … ” I’m sure you know the rest.

Jeff, I for one have now passed the ‘who to blame’ phase and am moving on to supporting ‘folks’ who are trying to resolve this crisis as soon as possible in this geopolitical mine field! Saving lives is my primary concern. The final analysis will soon enough reveal where to assign blame and what the consequences will be.

When I first signed on the Internet today I was appalled at the articles I was seeing about POTUS. But when I looked further I found all kinds of good, positive news. The Nixon campaign was the first one where I saw the dirty politics that we see refined by the GOP today. I think they can see the writing on the wall that their policies are doomed and are doing all they can to get in power in the midterms. What we have to do is find ways to take care of ourselves emotionally and stay in balance. And the other is to decide to be a part of solutions. What I decided to do was support House candidates in districts we can turn blue by writing about them and tweeting. It feels really energizing and uplifting to me to do that. There are so many great Democrats running. My donations have been small, $3 to $5, but there is only 3 months to go so I think about things I could wait to spend money on til later. It’s been easy to find some extra. As Pres Obama says, choose hope! There is great energy in hope. Together we can do great things!

“What I decided to do was support House candidates in districts we can turn blue by writing about them and tweeting. It feels really energizing and uplifting to me to do that. There are so many great Democrats running.”

What really scares me about this…is that Putin has a Nuclear Arsenal….if the Ukrainians get the best in this conflict…would Puttin be opening to using a Nuclear Weapon….it is unthinkable…but Assad did use chemical weapons on his people…

….These are jobs that pay about $770 a week: Think manufacturing, sales, transportation and construction.

This employment category has been expanding since 2013, according to Robert Mellman, senior U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase.

And the trend should continue. “The mix of jobs is improving,” said Ryan Sweet, director at Moody’s Analytics, which found that growth in mid-wage jobs has accelerated to an average of 1.5% in 2014, from 1% for the two years prior. “As the economy begins to grow consistently above its potential, we will see more middle class jobs being created.”….

This is how PBO plays the long game. He got Bibi to publicly state that they have received the US support – straight from the horse’s mouth. Now…when PBO is ready to act – and he will, soon, he will have disarmed the GOP with their usual crap talking points, he will have disarmed Bibi (they have the iron dome funded among other tangible and financial support from the US), and he will have the good will, pro-Gaza community, and support from the majority of Americans as well as the international supporters of the Palestinians. Community organizer in action…it’s a thing to behold…

Well, hope is a better choice. If there’s anyone that I trust it’s Barack Obama. And he’s earned that trust over the last six years.

People doubted that he was going to get ACA passed let alone properly implemented. People doubted that he was going to repeal DADT. People doubted that he was going to find and/or kill Osama Bin Laden. People doubted that he was going to get the economy back on track. People doubted that he was going to end the war in Afghanistan or Iraq. People doubted that he was going to be re-elected in 2012.

Need I continue?

As PBO said, cynicism accomplishes nothing. Do you honestly think that PBO is not seeing the daily carnage and loss of life among innocents in Gaza and not being ripped apart by it? But making hasty “showy” moves just to gain short-term “attaboys” on Twitter or on certain lefty blogs, is not PBO’s style of governing. That’s the GOP’s style!! And it certainly won’t help the people of Gaza for him to react in that way. This conflict didn’t just start this year, or five years ago. It’s a 60+ year old conflict that is now getting international and US attention – in part because we have a President/administration and foreign policy team who are fully aware of the injustice and atrocities, and the urgent need to END it. But it is not something that will be solved overnight or over a few months – it’s a 60 yr old entrenched problem with many different players. And it will require vision, focus, and some strategic moves made at the right time, because in situations like these, premature, emotion-driven reactions are just as harmful as no action at all.

Unlike previous Presidents who simply rubber-stamped Israel demands, this President has placed some of his own conditions and demands on the Israeli government, and they are not used to that. Furthermore, congress, both GOP and most Dems have fully supported Israel and Barack Obama is not about to alienate his Dem party right before a midterm election when he needs a Dem congress to continue his agenda for the next two years. A GOP that controls both the Senate and the House is not going to help the US or the people of Gaza.

I’ve slammed some critics that said: “I hope this happens to your daughters Obama!” followed by pictures of murdered infants. I told them not to dare wish that on another for that makes them no better than Netanyahu or any other monster that he claims to be against. It saddens me to see such carnage and people making such horrific desires. This makes them exactly like the tea baggers who don’t care about what’s happening. I want to see more than our tax dollars taken away from Israel, I would rather see it used to get Israel to stop their senseless slaughter.

I’m glad you recognize that extreme behavior is not what’s called for at this time. Folks who claim to be supporters of Gaza but instead tweet pics of murdered infants and wish ill on the President’s daughters aren’t “critics.” They are political TOOLS who are exploiting a situation for their own benefit. They probably do not even want this conflict to end – they see it as a means to get attention, money, political clout, etc

If they were really invested in the well being of Gaza as they claim, they would take the time to get informed about the the history, the process and the way forward, and stay focused on THAT. But they aren’t. And this is why I caution people to be careful about whose bandwagon they hitch to, because either extreme is harmful for all involved.

yes indeed, I hope that people will come to realize some things. For example if Obama did what these people claim they wanted too soon or quick that would provide political ammunition for his foes the tea party/GOP who would seek to impeach the president over this. It’s a very tight rope to walk when you have this entity known as AIPAC.

I totally agree with everything you said Hope. If there is one thing that I’m sure of, it’s that President Obama is OUTRAGED by the actions of Netanyahu. The asymmetric war is horrific to witness. And I agree President Obama is in a very tough place because he can’t alienate democrats. I also think that the president understands that Netanyahu is a delusional ideologue. The president makes every effort possible to avoid condemning Netanyahu too hard in public, ONLY because he knows that Netanyahu will double down on the disastrous policies if he is provoked. Bullies, authoritarians, MORALLY UNDERDEVELOPED people always react that way. Since so many lives are at stake, the President is walking a very very tight rope.

…The fact of the matter is that all the elements were in place for a large-scale movement of Central American kids across the border, with or without DACA. Rising street violence in Central America, along with political instability in Honduras gave people a reason to leave. Previous migratory patterns established since the late-1970s — first for political reasons, then for economic ones — meant many Central American youths have family here in the United States. And a hole in our immigration enforcement system was exploited both by families desperate to bring their children here and by human traffickers eager to profit from their predicament.

In addition to being based on a fallacy, the GOP’s call to fight this crisis with more border security would do nothing to solve the problem. These children aren’t a security threat. They’re turning themselves in to U.S. authorities at the border….

Such a thoughtful and comprehensive post, Chips. Thank you. In my humble opinion you’ve got the situation exactly right.
As do many who post here. I am so grateful for the truthful and thoughtful among us.

I especially concur with lovelyplains view that the genocide article wasn’t an outlier.
I think it was a trial balloon. Sent up to judge how much pushback there would be.

There are stories today about the NY Times struggle to be free of Israel’s censureshhip. I don’t know how accurate this is.
But the censorsip of Tel Aviv’s students seems clear enough.

The USA is contributing to Israel’s Offense against Gaza. Not just defense, as the Iron Dome is marketed as. The Pentagon has approved new sales and shipments of bullets, rockets etc. to Israel as well as the re-supply from a cache we keep in Israel estimated to be a billion dollars worth. Denying this isn’t helpful

The US War machine is a mighty ship that can’t be turned around easily. I don’t expect President Obama to do the impossible. Plus I trust The President to do what he can. All of us continued to love PBO as much as ever after we were forced to accept that background checks were not going to happen even though most of the country wanted them. Neither the Senate nor the House permitted any gun regulation and that, for now, was that. Maybe someday we will win this, just not yet.

We continued to support the President and the politicians we believe in during the gun legislation battle and after it.
Nobody here said we should sit home and sulk.

Same thing with Isareal and the cruel siege they are conducting.. I wish we could tell Bibi what we think of him and withdraw every penny in aid to Israel. But it is extremely unlikely that will happen. Maybe someday soon, but not just yet.

Even by congressional standards, the mixed message from Capitol Hill this week was jarring…..

….Confronted with the obvious contradiction at the heart of the Republican game plan, it appears the Republican response is effectively, “Yep, our position is incoherent.” Good to know. [Update: Even Charles Krauthammer is getting annoyed, telling Fox News viewers yesterday, “It is ridiculous to sue the president on a Wednesday because he oversteps the law … and then on a Thursday say that he should overstep the law.”]…

…Greg Sargent explained why Republicans have no one to blame but themselves: “And this underscores a key fact about this whole debate: It is precisely because Republicans won’t move out of their comfort zone on immigration – where the only response to the immigration crisis they can entertain is further militarizing the border and expedited/expanded deportations – that Obama is now going to resort to more action on his own.”…

I’m actually kind of sorry I watched that horrific spectacle in the House last night. It left me sickened by the outsized ignorance and hatred by the RWNJs in Congress. I’m just really hoping that Dems seize this as a WAKE UP call and mobilize EFFECTIVELY to remove as many of them as possible and take back the House.

It’s those kind of antics that makes it hard for the average citizen to be consistently engaged in our government/political process. Constant exposure to the crazies can wear on an individual’s spirit.

I think the Dems and Latinos for sure are going to be fired up – I saw Gutierrez give a statement with the Hispanic Caucus and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so angry – and he’s been on TV quite a bit with his usual PBO-bashing over the years. He was LIVID and he *promised* that come this November, the GOP will be paying for their actions.

I MIGHT ADD TO THIS TWEET…AMERICANS ARE NOT IF THEY CANNOT CARRY COMPASSION FOR OTHERS…LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR…AND CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE A GREAT AMERICAN PRESIDENT WHO HAS BEEN GIVING HIS ALL TO THE PEOPLE…AS FOR RACISTS…THEY LIVE IN THE DARK WITH NO HOPE FOR SUNLIGHT!

…The row started when Brand focused an episode of his satirical YouTube series, The Trews, on an episode of Hannity’s show where he questioned Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the Jerusalem Fund. As part of the interview, Hannity asked Munayyer, “what part of this can’t you get through your thick head?”, before stopping the interview short when Munayyer refused to answer “yes” to the question “Is Hamas a terrorist organisation?”

“One of the definitions of a terrorist is using intimidation to reach your goals,” says Brand in his video. “Who in that situation was behaving like a terrorist? Using intimidation, bullying, being unreasonable? Sean Hannity, that is where the terrorism is coming from.”

Brand goes on to make the following analogy about the conflict: “If I’m beating up somebody with a variety of weaponry and they’re jabbing me with a pin … of course, it’s still out of order, the pin. It hurts and everything, but don’t remove all context except for the information that’s convenient to you.”….

They’ve dwindled, Arapaho. Soon we’ll be getting the ugly tree beetles that cling to your windows hoping to get inside to establish nests for the winter. That’s when I start taping all the window sides and banging on the glass like a madwoman.

ThisMagicalEarth raised an important issue about the way we cope with negativity in the media, the seemingly endless crises in the world, the absurd expectations put on our president and the horrific and enraging rise of ethnic and racial bigotry. There is an old wisdom I learned may decades ago about recognizing the difference between what you can change and what you can’t and then giving everything you can to the things you CAN change. I can rail against the media, Putin, Netanyahu, the Republicans in Congress, and every nasty gun-toting bigot in the US, or I can get out and try to win elections. TME has chosen the path toward winning and that’s both a healthy and a positive decision. Our president has chosen the path toward winning and every Democratic campaign worker and organizer in the country –even the ones who drive us nuts with the fundraising–has chosen the winning path as well. So I’m going to spend the next month working on Latino outreach in our community and then I’m going to look for every chance to register voters before the early October deadline in this state. And when I’ve done that I’m going to give every ounce of energy I have to get out the vote on election day. Our president is out there every day fighting the enemies, reaching out to ordinary people on the street or in restaurants or in gyms or auditoriums. He showing us that if he can take the heart in the hottest kitchen on the planet, i.e. the White House, then we can take it too. He goes through hell and back for us just about every day of this presidency and the least thing I can is not let him down.

Jackie, you hit the nail on the head! As our president has said for years: (E.J.Dionne take note)”Don’t boo, vote.” Working for positive goals always drives away the negative. Or, as I heard Nancy Pelosi say on TRMS:: “Don’t agonize, organize.”
These are our examples, and you are following them excellently!

On a personal note, and with all the workshaking news, it may seem trivial, but…..our precious poodle, Chanel, is going through a huge reaction to medication. She was put on an antibiotic, flagyl, and it has given her neurological reactions. She can’t stand, and is currently being treated to get rid of the medication. This acted like a poison on her…..and we are living in limbo waiting for further word. They will give her an IV to get rid of the nasty stuff, but it will take at least a day for the effects to subside. Fortunately, all her vital signs are strong, but she is at the vet’s, and , although we know, mentally that is the right place for her, emotionally, we MISS her! The house seems empty without her. The vet, who is wonderful, will call us again about dinner time with a report. So…….we would treasure all positive thoughts and messages for her. She is our baby.

Oh Carolyn, I know how agonizing it is to see anyone you love suffer through illness. I will send all the positive thoughts and prayers you way that Chanel recovers quickly and you get good news from the vet. Please let us know.

Carolyn, so sorry your Chanel has had a bad reaction to her medicine. My thoughts and prayers hope she has for a quick recovery. I hope she can come home soon with no lingering effects from the medicine.

Some 130,000 Ethiopians, most of them Jewish, live in Israel. The community experiences higher poverty and unemployment rates than the rest of the country’s Jewish population. In the past decade, the birth rate among Ethiopian-Israelis has declined by at least 20 percent. Advocacy groups now claim this decline is the result of a birth control regimen forced upon Ethiopian immigrant women.”

I am a lurker and so I don’t usually post a comment. I am thankful for this site and the many comments, links, and information that are provided. However, I just felt compelled to make a comment this time. My heart aches for the people of Gaza. I think that what is being done to them is genocide all in the name of “tunnels.” I feel that I have been “had” by our politicians and media which seems to care only for the needs of Israel and not the needs of the other side–Palestinians. If you want peace you have to recognize both sides. There has always got to be give and take. However, I don’t believe Netanyahu wants peace with the Palestinians. I think he always looks for ways not to sit down and negotiate and with the US continually supporting him financially and militarily–why would he? It appears that the powers that be expect the Palestinians to continue to live under blockade and aparthied conditions forever, that is, until the land is so decimated and contaminated by Israel’s military might that the Palestinians are ushered off their remaining land for humanitarian reasons. Guess who then moves in? I get it now.